McLaren Should Mull Team Orders for Lando Norris, Says Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff Amid Championship Battle

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

The head of Mercedes shares his opinion on the McLaren team orders discussion

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren may need to consider making the tough decision to enforce team orders as the battle for the F1 championship reaches its final stages.

McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of a difficult weekend for Red Bull's Max Verstappen by securing the top two positions on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third during the opening lap after a tussle with his teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver on the outer edge of the Della Roggia chicane, and Norris subsequently dropped another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, and narrowed Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points with eight races left, as the Dutchman managed only a sixth-place finish.

"When asked if he was surprised that McLaren let their drivers compete with each other, Wolff commented, 'As a team now fighting at the top, we find ourselves in a tough spot. On one hand, they are racers just like us.'"

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving person succeeds, but when the situation starts to hinder the team's effectiveness, how should one respond?"

"The team consistently ends up losing because when positions are fixed and team orders are enforced, it may not align with the competitive spirit of racing, but practical decision-making must take precedence."

"Ultimately, you don't want to miss out on winning a championship by a small margin of three or five points that you could have easily secured. Balancing this is incredibly challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren team leader Andrea Stella might need to reassess their ‘Papaya Rules’ and consider shifting from his “racers’ soul” method.

"Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of the sport. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari," Wolff remarked.

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer, reluctant to interfere and preferring to let the competitors race freely. However, I believe a decision will be made after this event… what's our approach to this?"

"This is the point at which we began implementing guidelines for engagement, later altering the terminology to 'racing intent' since 'rules' felt too stringent for the drivers."

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